Abbott Elementary: 10 Movies And TV Shows Where You’ve Seen The Cast
Abbott Elementary has quickly shown that it is one of the best comedies of the decade. With its lovable characters, its snappy writing, and its realistic depiction of education, it has all the makings of a series that will stand the test of time. It certainly helps that it boasts an enormously talented cast who bring out the rich complexity and dynamic personalities of their characters.
Given just how robust their collective career has been, however, it’s not surprising, and so it’s worth taking a look at some of their most notable roles.
Quinta Brunson’s character of Janine is arguably one the series' most likable characters, and a lot of that has to do with Brunson’s innate charisma. Of course, this isn’t surprising to anyone who has seen her role in A Black Lady Sketch Show. Even though she was but one part of an ensemble, it was clear from her performance that she had what it took to be the star of her own show. She also wrote for the show, presaging the many roles that she would come to fulfill on Abbott Elementary.
Part of what makes Abbott Elementary such a great feel-good show is its ability to create characters who are remarkably complex. One of the series most interesting characters is Greg, played by Tyler James Williams, who quickly emerges as one of the series’ smartest characters. Long before he played the rather dour but relentlessly charming Greg, however, he was already famous for being in the show Everybody Hates Chris. He played the title character, who was based off of the comedian Chris Rock.
There’s no question that Ava, played by Janelle James, is capable of delivering some of the funniest quotes in the entire first season. Ava is one of those people who seems to take a great deal of delight in tormenting others, particularly Janine. Those who have seen Janelle James in her other screen performances, however, aren’t surprised by just how skilled she is as a comedian. Though she has been in several things, she is probably most well-known for providing her voice to the character of Fran, one of the park rangers in Central Park.
The veteran screen actress Lisa Ann Walter is responsible for bringing the character of Melissa to vibrant life. She has a waspish sense of humor, but it’s clear that she loves her students and her job. Walter has consistently shown throughout her career that she is capable of capturing the complexities of contemporary women, most notably in the series Life’s Work.
Though it was very short-lived, Walter received praise for showing the many pressures that a working mother has to endure.
Chris Perfettis’ Jacob is one of the series’ most intelligent characters. While he clearly loves his students, he sometimes has a bit of a hard time connecting to them on their own terms. Nevertheless, Perfetti deserves a great deal of praise for his ability to bring out the shades and complexities of Jacob’s character. Though he has already built up quite a strong resume, he is probably best known to audiences for his brief appearance in HBO’s Looking, where he played the boyfriend of Richie, one of the main characters.
There are few stage actresses quite as well-respected as Sheryl Lee Ralph. She has established quite a reputation in the theatrical world–she was in the original cast of the very well-regarded musical Dreamgirls–but she has also shown herself to be very skilled in the world of television. Most notably, she played in the series It’s a Living, which focused on a group of women who work in a restaurant that occupies the top of the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. Ralph played the character of Ginger St. James in the series’ later seasons.
Snowpiercer is widely regarded as one of the best science fiction series on current television, and it paints a very bleak (but surprisingly believable) portrait of a post-apocalyptic world. It has a very strong cast, including William Stanford, who portrays the character of Mr. Riggs, one of the allies and friends of the lead character Andre Layton. Though his role in the series was rather brief, he made an impression, and he brings a sardonic and irascible charm to his role of the janitor, Mr. Johnson in Abbott Elementary.
Among the many great secondary characters that appear in Abbot Elementary, Zack Fox’s Tariq is one of the best. Though he isn’t a great match for Janine, he still shows that he’s a good man who is doing his best to succeed as a rapper.
Fox has had a few screen appearances over the years, but there’s no question that is most famous for his work on The Eric Andre Show, where he was a creative consultant in 2020.
As lovable as Janine is, she seems to have some trouble finding friends who don’t treat her poorly, and that includes Sahar, who looks down on Janine in almost every way. She is, nevertheless, a compelling character, even though she only makes a brief appearance. Her dynamism is no surprise to those who have seen her elsewhere, though, particularly in Three Busy Debras, which showcases her considerable comedic talents. She is also one of the creators of the series.
Part of what makes Greg such an interesting and complex character is that he struggles to gain the love and approval of his father. So far, his father has only appeared briefly but, given that he’s played by Orlando Jones, it’s not surprising that he makes quite an indelible impression. James has been in a number of notable roles, but his most recent success has been as the trickster god Anansi in the Starz series American Gods.